In a multidisciplinar approach, the use of fish parasites as biological tags can be a useful tool, in particular in the studies on the migrations and the discrimination of stocks. The gills of 53 specimens of Atlantic bluefin tuna caught off Sardinia (western Mediterranean) were examined for metazoan parasites. A total of 8 species were found: 4 didymozoids (Didymosulcus wedli, Didymocystis reniformis, Didymozoon pretiosus, Wedlia bipartita); 2 monogeneans (Hexostoma thynni, Capsala interrupta); 2 copepods (Caligus coryphaenae, Pseudocycnus appendiculatus). The dominant species in both localities was D. wedli. All the 8 parasite species were found in the second size class, while in the first just one (D. wedli). The results, compared with the avalaible literature, suggested that the gill parasites of tuna from the western Mediterranean Sea are more similar to those of norteastern Atlantic tuna than those of Adriatic ones. Among the parasites found, didymozoids could be the most suitable to be used as biological tags
The usefulness of the metazoan gill parasites of Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus (L.) as biological tags
ADDIS, PIERANTONIO
2011-01-01
Abstract
In a multidisciplinar approach, the use of fish parasites as biological tags can be a useful tool, in particular in the studies on the migrations and the discrimination of stocks. The gills of 53 specimens of Atlantic bluefin tuna caught off Sardinia (western Mediterranean) were examined for metazoan parasites. A total of 8 species were found: 4 didymozoids (Didymosulcus wedli, Didymocystis reniformis, Didymozoon pretiosus, Wedlia bipartita); 2 monogeneans (Hexostoma thynni, Capsala interrupta); 2 copepods (Caligus coryphaenae, Pseudocycnus appendiculatus). The dominant species in both localities was D. wedli. All the 8 parasite species were found in the second size class, while in the first just one (D. wedli). The results, compared with the avalaible literature, suggested that the gill parasites of tuna from the western Mediterranean Sea are more similar to those of norteastern Atlantic tuna than those of Adriatic ones. Among the parasites found, didymozoids could be the most suitable to be used as biological tagsI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.